Tag Archives: Di2

Di2 Secrets Revealed!

Leave a reply

Shimano does an impressive job documenting all of the Alfine Di2 components and making it readily available through the internet.  Even so, I had a hard time finding answers to a variety of questions before I took the plunge and just purchased the stuff.  To be fair, many of these questions come from the fringes of trying to adapt to a recumbent trike a system that is designed for upright bikes.  Now I know the answers to most of my burning questions, and so do you.

Wiring

Leave a reply

I’ve begun acquiring the Di2 parts necessary to get the system running on the bench.  I have a rim and Alfine-11 hub in hand and am waiting on a spoke order before I begin building the wheel.  I was surprised how difficult it was to find the Alfine-11 in 36 hole silver here in the states.  Jim (aka Bike Hermit) at Bike Touring News had no trouble and I had my hub within just a few days of placing the order.

Before I can complete the initial Di2 order I need to figure out the wire I’ll need.  Continue reading →

Recumbent Belt Drive

24 Replies

Now that I’ve seen belt drive in action on a couple of “city bikes” in town, I can’t seem to let this one go.  On an upright bike, belt drive is smooth, reliable, light, and silent.  On a recumbent it has the potential to solve what for many is their bane:  a long, greasy, noisy, unwieldy chain.  This post is my attempt at taking a closer look to see what might be preventing the adoption of belt drive for recumbents and, specifically, ‘bent trikes.  I’ll discuss the issues I see, many unique to ‘bents.  Then I’ll see if I can figure out what it would take to adapt my current trike to belt drive. Continue reading →

Unconventional

3 Replies

I guess anything under the recumbent banner could be considered unconventional but I think I’ll be pushing into particularly rare territory for this build. My goal is a machine that will be equally comfortable on tour or commuting to work; fun to ride, easy to maintain, impervious to weather. Fast, relatively lightweight, simple, at least externally. Here are some of the characteristics I think will get me the closest. Continue reading →